Chapter 3. Crimes Relating To Public Records, Documents, And Certificates of California Government Code >> Division 7. >> Title 1. >> Chapter 3.
Every officer having the custody of any record, map, or book,
or of any paper or proceeding of any court, filed or deposited in
any public office, or placed in his or her hands for any purpose, is
punishable by imprisonment pursuant to subdivision (h) of Section
1170 of the Penal Code for two, three, or four years if, as to the
whole or any part of the record, map, book, paper, or proceeding, the
officer willfully does or permits any other person to do any of the
following:
(a) Steal, remove, or secrete.
(b) Destroy, mutilate, or deface.
(c) Alter or falsify.
Every person not an officer referred to in Section 6200, who
is guilty of any of the acts specified in that section, is punishable
by imprisonment pursuant to subdivision (h) of Section 1170 of the
Penal Code, or in a county jail not exceeding one year, or by a fine
not exceeding one thousand dollars ($1,000), or by both that fine and
imprisonment.
(a) Every officer authorized by law to make or give any
certificate or other writing is guilty of a misdemeanor if he or she
makes and delivers as true any certificate or writing containing
statements which he or she knows to be false.
(b) Notwithstanding any other limitation of time described in
Section 802 of the Penal Code, or any other provision of law,
prosecution for a violation of this offense shall be commenced within
four years after discovery of the commission of the offense, or
within four years after the completion of the offense, whichever is
later.
(c) The penalty provided by this section is not an exclusive
remedy, and does not affect any other relief or remedy provided by
law.